Amid the pomp and ceremony of Changing the Guard, they stand out from the hundreds of tourists. Armed to the teeth with firepower, the beefed-up police firearms officers are helping protect our soldiers from terror attack.
Police
carrying powerful Heckler and Koch G36C semi-automatic rifles and Glock
17 9mm pistols patrolled on Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall, central
London, earlier today.
Security has been bolstered tourist hotspots following the shooting of a ceremonial guard outside the Canadian parliament.
Each
morning delighted visitors from around the world watch Changing the
Guard, where troops in traditional red tunics on horseback perform
historic ceremonial duties.
The
buildings at Horse Guards are the headquarters of the Army's London
District and provide accommodation for soldiers in the Queen's Life
Guard, a unit which carries out its duties and performs on state
occasions.
Last
week, senior Army officers made the decision to deploy armed troops
there after Corporal Nathan Cirillo, 24, was shot dead by an Islamist
fanatic two weeks ago while on unarmed guard duty at the National War
Memorial in Ottawa.
The heavily armed police officers who
were spotted for the first time today patrolling Horse Guards Parade in
central London during the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony
His
killer, Muslim convert Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, was shot dead by the
Sergeant-At-Arms when he stormed the parliament, firing a shot into the
door of the room where Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was hiding
a cupboard.
There are fears a ‘lone wolf’ extremist radicalised by Islamic State could attempt to murder a British soldier.
Last year, Drummer Lee Rigby was butchered in cold-blood by Muslim fanatics outside his barracks in Woolwich, south-east London.
The officers were seen carrying Heckler and Koch G36C semi-automatic rifles and Glock 17 9mm pistols
Armed
Metropolitan Police officers are patrolling the city’s landmarks to
protect tourists, soldiers and citizens, while deterring potential
militants from launching a strike.
A
Metropolitan Police spokesman declined to comment on whether police
security arrangements had been stepped up in the wake of the Canadian
attack.
But he said: ‘Armed officers routinely patrol central London and iconic locations. It is not a big surprise.’
Last week it emerged Westminster was on high alert in case of a terrorist attack on Parliament.
MPs
have been told to consider fitting their constituency offices with
panic buttons and designating a 'safe room' in their homes.
Security has been beefed up after an
unarmed soldier in Canada was shot dead at the country's national war
memorial. Westminster has also been placed on high alert in case of a
terrorist attack on parliament
The armed officers stood out among the tourists who were in Horse Guards Parade earlier today to see the Changing of the Guard
He
said: ‘An enhanced number of officers for high visibility policing have
been deployed across the country and this will continue for the
foreseeable future.
'In
addition to this there will be an increase in vehicle checkpoint
searches, extra patrols and other security measures including providing
security advice to businesses and partners.
'Any additional measures that are needed will be taken.
‘This is for the reassurance and security of the public.’
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